Insensitivity by Registrars?

[djct59]

Last week I visited a relative of my mother's whose husband of 55 years died unexpectedly after a short illness recently. as they had no children it fell to her to register his death the day afterwards.

She was of course aware of his full name, date of birth, datre of marriage and parents' names, but was then nonplussed to be asked if she knew where his mother and father were born and what their occupations were. When she asked why this was required she was told that it would help researchers in the future identify the right people. She found this rather unnecessary and upsetting enough for her to raise it with me some weeks later.

While I'm sure everybody here is of the view that the more information a researcher has the better their research outcome will be, is it really appropriate to seek this information from widows and widowers or other relatives at the time of registering a death? 

[groom]

Was this in England - as far as I'm aware there is no space for that information on a death certificate? As much as I love genealogy, I'm sure that most of us are aware that certificates are not produced with researchers in mind and it is wrong for a registrar to suggest that.

[djct59]

Scotland - where there has always been much more information on birth, marriage and death certificates

[Chapuys]

Last week I visited a relative of my mother's whose husband of 55 years died unexpectedly after a short illness recently. as they had no children it fell to her to register his death the day afterwards.

She was of course aware of his full name, date of birth, datre of marriage and parents' names, but was then nonplussed to be asked if she knew where his mother and father were born and what their occupations were. When she asked why this was required she was told that it would help researchers in the future identify the right people. She found this rather unnecessary and upsetting enough for her to raise it with me some weeks later.

While I'm sure everybody here is of the view that the more information a researcher has the better their research outcome will be, is it really appropriate to seek this information from widows and widowers or other relatives at the time of registering a death.

But if it is the law to provide those details, the registrar does not have a choice in asking for them. Of course you have a right to refuse to answer them but the law is the law.

[carlineric]

Not sure about where the parents were born, the latest entry I have seen for 2007 did not have this and I was not asked this when I registered my mother's death in 1998. Father's occupation has always been shown but mother's only from the 1980s/90s. I suppose the mother's occupation was added due to more women having jobs. Compare with the detail on an American/Canadian certificate.

Eric

[djct59]

Last week I visited a relative of my mother's whose husband of 55 years died unexpectedly after a short illness recently. as they had no children it fell to her to register his death the day afterwards.

She was of course aware of his full name, date of birth, datre of marriage and parents' names, but was then nonplussed to be asked if she knew where his mother and father were born and what their occupations were. When she asked why this was required she was told that it would help researchers in the future identify the right people. She found this rather unnecessary and upsetting enough for her to raise it with me some weeks later.

While I'm sure everybody here is of the view that the more information a researcher has the better their research outcome will be, is it really appropriate to seek this information from widows and widowers or other relatives at the time of registering a death.

But if it is the law to provide those details, the registrar does not have a choice in asking for them. Of course you have a right to refuse to answer them but the law is the law.

It has always been obligatory to provide details of the deceased, but it's not uncommon for declarants to be unaware of some details, such as parents' names. When my grandmother died in 1991 aged 96 she had had dementia for many years. I was her sole surviving descendant and could not have provided details of her parents' names. It was made c;ear that the further information about parents' occupations and places of birth was not compulsory but merely "encouraged". I was simply inviting comment on whether this is a good way of obtaining research information.

[Andrew Tarr]

It has always been obligatory to provide details of the deceased, but it's not uncommon for declarants to be unaware of some details, such as parents' names. When my grandmother died in 1991 aged 96 she had had dementia for many years. I was her sole surviving descendant and could not have provided details of her parents' names. It was made c;ear that the further information about parents' occupations and places of birth was not compulsory but merely "encouraged". I was simply inviting comment on whether this is a good way of obtaining research information.

As you have pointed out, very few sources may remain able to give the information, so although it may seem insensitive, it is right to ask the question - in Scotland anyway, where this has been the norm for a long time.  And we are very glad of it, years afterwards ....

[suzard]

When my son (who we adopted as an infant) was getting married he had to provide a full birth cert (as he was registering in England to marry in Greece) - so he provided the full version of his adoption papers.  The registrar asked him if he saw his Mother - he said of course i do - registrar "What's her name?" Son " Her name is on my certificate" Registrar " no I mean the name of your real mother" Son " the name of my real mother is on the certificate" Registrar" no that's the name of your adoptive Mother. Son " Correct and that is my real mother" It was most embarassing and upsetting - and still she kept on - then asking what his Mother's name was.
My son knows all about his birth circumstances and has met his birth mother - but that is his business and no one elses

Suz

[shellyesq]

Suz, that registrar sounds clueless.  Certainly in dealing with legal matters like a marriage certificate, someone should have to put their legal parents.  It would never occur to me to put my birth parents on that, even though I know their names.